Barnaby Hollington

Barnaby Hollington was born in Norwich, UK in 1975. He grew up mainly in Australia and France, but returned to Britain in 1993 to study music at New College, Oxford and then composition at the Royal College of Music. Due to dissatisfaction with his own work, he then gave up composition altogether, and trained as a teacher.

In 2002, Barnaby resumed composition in his spare time, adopting a radically different approach. He was subsequently awarded prizes in several international composition competitions in Finland, Austria, Japan, Luxembourg and Slovakia. Recordings of his music were released by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Tonkünstler Niederösterreich, Luxembourg Sinfonietta and Melos Ethos Ensemble. He was commissioned to write a further work for the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra in 2007.

In 2008, Barnaby was selected for the Sound and Music composer shortlist, but by then he had all but given up composition again, to concentrate on teaching, following numerous unsuccessful applications for PhD funding. Since August 2013, however, considerably more favourable financial circumstances have allowed him to resume composing. Barnaby is now studying for a PhD in composition with Martin Butler at the University of Sussex, where he is also an Associate Tutor.

Current projects include Velvet Revolution for large ensemble, written through Sound and Music’s ‘Next Wave’ project. Velvet Revolution has recently been recorded by the London Sinfonietta, and is due to be released by NMC Recordings soon.